Biography
Martin Stupka is the violist of the Škampa Quartet (since 2016) and the Martinů Quartet (since 2023). With both ensembles, he performs regularly on European and international stages and records for Supraphon.
Full biography
Born in Prague, he began his musical journey at the age of five on the recorder, violin and accordion. At fourteen he turned to the viola at the Jan Neruda Music High School in Prague in the class of Libor Nováček, continued his studies with Karel Doležal at the Prague Conservatory and completed them in Berlin at the Hochschule für Musik „Hanns Eisler“ (Volker Sprenger) and the Universität der Künste. During his studies he took part in masterclasses with artists including Tabea Zimmermann, Eberhard Feltz, Günter Pichler, Natalia Prishepenko and Wolfram Brandl, as well as with members of the Talich Quartet, the Artemis Quartet and the Scharoun Ensemble Berlin.
He collaborates with leading Czech period-instrument ensembles Collegium 1704, Collegium Marianum and Musica Florea, with chamber orchestras such as the Talich Philharmonia Prague, Prague Chamber Orchestra and Czechoslovak Chamber Orchestra Prague, and also with ensembles in the jazz and crossover field (Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra, Mira Mode Orchestra, Octothorpe). He has performed at the JAZZ Baltica festival with the Don Friedman Trio (Don Friedman, Joe La Barbera, Martin Wind), at Berlin's Volksbühne in Werner Schroeter's production of „Antigone/Elektra“, and in Leon Gurwitsch's project „Sounds of Jerusalem“. More recently, he was invited by Pavel Fischer to join the international resident ensemble of the Concentus Moraviae festival for a performance of Bohuslav Martinů's Three Madrigals.
As a soloist he has performed Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in its original scordatura with Jan Mráček (2016) and Roman Patočka (2021), and in 2023 he took part in the modern authentic premiere of the viola concerto by Joseph Puschmann. Together with Dana Oerterová and the Piccola Orchestra Prague he was awarded the Bohuslav Martinů Prize at the Young Stage festival in Karlovy Vary for a performance of Martinů's Divertimento. He records and performs regularly for Czech Radio and Czech Television.
Martin Stupka teaches at the international PLAYWIP masterclasses organised by the Martinů Quartet and previously taught at the Dobřichovice Summer String Masterclasses under the direction of Karel Doležal. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses abroad.
